May22, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services, and Eliot L Engel (D-NY), Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, this week denounced the Trump Administration’s plans to illegally withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, the lawmakers pressed that this scheme will endanger U.S. national security and empower Russia.

“We offered on several occasions to work closely with you and others in the Administration on the future of the Open Skies Treaty and other critical national security issues. Yet these overtures were ignored and now you are flouting legal requirements to consult and notify Congress. It appears that short-sighted interests and partisan politics prevailed over reason and good foreign policy. This is a regrettable decision that will have lasting consequences. We will continue to press this Administration and hold it accountable to ensure decisions are made with the best interest of the American people, and our allies and partners, in mind,” wrote the lawmakers.